Product Liability: Toyota Mum Over the Safety of Prius

February 8, 2010

Washington - After hundreds of drivers complained that the brake system of their Toyota Prius has the tendency to fail on bumpy roads, the Japanese car maker is yet to announce if it will recall the biggest-selling hybrid car in the US.

However, Kyodo news agency reported Monday that Toyota “will likely to announce a recall of 2010 models of Prius on Tuesday.”

According to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), four crashes, which resulted to two minor injuries, were linked to the faulty brake system of Prius.

If recall on this popular hybrid proceeds, it will cover more than 300,000 models in the US and Japan.

However, some analysts expected that the number may increase since the car maker giant may also announce a recall in some parts of Asia and Europe.

Recently, Toyota has announced a global recall that covers about 5.3 million vehicles which may have a defective brake system or pedal design that may cause unintentional acceleration.

The controversy has damaged the reputation of the world’s largest car maker, causing massive financial losses as the market value of its product and sales has declined over the previous months.